A 31-year-old Chicago man named Cleophus Polk is accused of brutally murdering a man three days after he was on pretrial release for a felony offense.
Authorities had an arrest warrant for the suspect for several months after he failed to appear in court for a car theft case, Chicago CWB said. report on friday.
However, he was arrested and produced before Judge Michael Clancy before being released again on July 12th.
image show Suspects in this case:
Prosecutors say the defendant stabbed a man and beat him to death with a board three days after he was on pretrial release for a felony charge.
He is the 21st person this year to be charged with murder or attempted murder while on pretrial release in Chicago.https://t.co/yiE0eqFGJk
— CWB Chicago (@CWB Chicago) July 26, 2024
Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer Cooper detailed the case, saying security cameras at a liquor store off West North Avenue captured the suspect making a purchase and arguing with the store clerk hours before the murder.
As the store closed and the employee was leaving, she noticed the 43-year-old victim walking nearby, carrying a bag and using a board as a walking stick.
Cooper said the store employee saw the victim approach Polk after the suspect called out to him, but the victim did not use the board in a threatening manner toward Polk. However, Polk allegedly grabbed the board with one hand and stabbed him with the other, before chasing him down the street and hitting him with the board.
Polk is accused of demanding the victim’s wallet, searching his pockets and taking the man’s jacket and other clothing as he lay motionless on the ground.
“Approximately five minutes later, Polk returned to the scene and again searched the victim for valuables. Cooper said he again began the attack, striking the man with his fists, a board and a heavy bag, after he fell,” a Chicago police report said, adding that the victim died several days later from his injuries, including a head injury.
The suspect, who is currently charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery, has been ordered held in custody while he awaits trial.
In July 2023, a man was accused of stabbing his girlfriend 150 times with scissors while she was visiting with their children in Chicago, according to Breitbart News.
At the time, the suspect, David Cobb, was being held without bail.
In a separate violent incident in Chicago in 2022, a murder charge was recently approved for a man accused of shooting and killing a 3-year-old boy during a road rage incident, Breitbart News reported Monday.
